Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.
Given their extreme vulnerability, the vastness of city space, the dangers posed by traffic, suspicion of terrorism, and the possibility that no one would be interested in helping a lost little robot, I initially conceived the Tweenbots as disposable creatures which were more likely to struggle and die in the city than to reach their destination…
The results were unexpected. Over the course of the following months, throughout numerous missions, the Tweenbots were successful in rolling from their start point to their far-away destination assisted only by strangers.
My favorite bit:
One man turned the robot back in the direction from which it had just come, saying out loud to the Tweenbot, “You can’t go that way, it’s toward the road.”
I hope that guy’s having a great day. He earned it with that little bit of altruism. (Ditto Kacie Kinzer, creator of the Tweenbot experiment.)
Oh, I want to play. We plan on taking the babies into Manhattie this summer. We are going to be on the lookout for these.
kelly: From the map at the bottom of the page, it looks as though this one, at least, is down in the NYU area. There’s another page where she talks about other robots in the planning stages so yeah, no matter where on the island you are, keep your eyes open!
(In the video, one moment that cracked me up was a kid being pushed in a stroller. The parent/babysitter was walking right by the ‘bot, apparently oblivious, but the kid was riveted. :)
That is so sweet. But somehow doesn’t surprise me. I’ve only visited NYC twice, with 15 years in between, and each time I was stunned by how friendly and helpful New Yorkers were – cab drivers, store clerks, just people walking by on the street and stopping to offer help to a frazzled tourist. Never once met the stereotypical New Yawker with the loud mouth and bad manners.
Kids notice things. That is one of the things I love about my son–he points out things my grown up self would miss.
Oh, and those tween bots are awesome.
Tessa: True dat, about NYC. Because I lived so long in NJ, I’ve visited the city many times (and we try to do so whenever we’re up there for a visit). The reason for the stereotype, I think, is that in order to cram so many bodies into such a (relatively) small and hyperkinetic space, people must have some barriers erected just to preserve their privacy — which probably comes across as less-than-warm to those from outside.
(Of course, lots of other cities are hyperkinetic, w/out the stereotype. Maybe that’s just because the notion of privacy isn’t the same there?)
marta: I loved the tweenbots, too. I’m kind of interested in how the experiment might have gone differently had she given them frowny-faces instead of the adorable smiles. But mostly I’m just happy she did it at all!